In response to Alderman EatonI am writing in response to Alderman Eatons article dated Sunday,July 31, 2016. As owner and proprietor of Rogue Vapers llc in Russellville , I feel that there are quite a few untruths involved in the article concerning our business and products. We are a family owned business that reside right here in Russellville, We have absolutely no ties to any tobacco companies whatsoever, our liquid products are made right here in Arkansas. Our products...

First love's game, part IV: Our happy ending"Soon he'll be there at your side with a sweet bouquet ... then he'll kiss your lips and caress your waiting finger tips and your hearts will fly Away ... " -- Tommy Edwards, 1958 July 12, 1960. The day before my 17th birthday. Daddy had a store clerk call in sick and asked me to work that afternoon. I was arranging a new order of domestics when I heard footsteps approaching the counter. "Brenda Starks, I think I still like you." I froze for a...

Ridge, the first Native American novelistJohn Rollin Ridge was the first Native American novelist. His own story takes him through early Arkansas, the chaos of the frontier, and his own close calls with death. He was born in New Echota, Georgia, in March 1827. His Cherokee name was Yellow Feather, but he went by the Anglicized name of Ridge. His father, John Ridge, and grandfather, Major Ridge, were prominent leaders in the Cherokee Nation. For years, the Cherokees had steadily lost ...

First Love's Game, part III"Once in awhile he won't call, but it's all in the game. ..." Tommy Edwards, 1958. Friday morning. The last full day of camp. How had it gone by so quickly?? Bob and I met at breakfast and I was sad, knowing it was all about to end. Later that morning, we met at the same picnic table we'd used all week and our talk took on a more serious note. He said he surely did not want to lose contact with me. That he certainly wanted to see more of me af...

The inspiring story of activist Daisy Lee BatesThe world becomes a better place when people are willing to take a stand for others. In one of the most contentious ages in Arkansas History, Daisy Bates was a voice for peace and justice during the civil rights struggles. Her work helped show that the past does not have to define the future. Some details of her early life are not entirely clear. She is believed to have been born Daisy Lee Gatson sometime around 1913 in eastern Union County. M...

Comment on the state surplus fundsOur state government seems to be like a child. If a child has a dime or a dollar in their pocket, it has to be spent on something, anything. Some say give the teachers a raise, why? There has been no cost of living increase. Give the state employees a raise, why? There has been no cost of living increase. More money for pre-K, for what reason? The people need a better explanation of where the money is to go! According to the federal government...

I too, am like youI too, am like you When the two towers fell, did I not cry? Did I not humble myself and cry out why? When those people died at Sandy Hook, did I not bow my head at the lives he took? Yes! Cause I too, am like you. When the nine died while worshipping, did my heart not ache, was I not hurting? When so many died while at a club with friends, did my mind not wonder when will this end? Yes! Cause I too, am like you. Something I'm starting to reali...

Choosing happinessFrom a very unhappy part of my childhood, I made a decision to become happy. I memorized jokes and learned how to tell them. I taught myself how to laugh. I mimicked the happiest people I knew until it became who I was -- who I am. Since that time, I have consistently been one of the happiest people I know. It was a choice that I made. Today, I see, what appears to be spreading like a disease, people choosing to be mad, to hate, and to be disc...

Governor Tom Terral focused on efficiencyTom Terral was one of only a handful of one-term governors in the history of the state. Though skilled and reform-minded, the tale of Terral is one of ambition often blinding him to more serious problems surrounding him. Thomas Jefferson Terral was born in rural Union Parish, Louisiana, on the Arkansas border in 1882. His father was a planter of moderate means, and the younger Terral attended public schools in Louisiana and Mississippi before ...

First love's game"...It's all in the game...all in the game that we know as love..." -- Tommy Edwards, 1958 Love, when it touches a young heart for the very first time, is probably best captured in a popular song of the late '50' describing this phenomenon as a game. The song, "It's All In the Game" by Tommy Edwards, expressed how love assaults an unsuspecting soul like no other emotion known to man. It is a burning sweet pain that depends totally on the other...

Senator Ambrose Sevier helped broker peaceThe Mexican War was fought between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. The war was short, fierce, and bloody. At the end, it was an Arkansan, Ambrose Sevier, who helped broker the peace between the United States and Mexico. Ambrose Sevier was born in 1801 in eastern Tennessee and arrived in Little Rock in 1821. He rose quickly in Arkansas politics, serving as a legislator, speaker of the House, and as the territorial delegate to Co...

Your VoiceCars need to stop Neighborhood Market on West Main Street needs a stop sign by the cross walk. Cars do not even slow down for people in the cross walk. People get stuck in the middle and must wait until all cars whiz by. Is this right or is this potentially dangerous? Cindy Hudson Russellville

Our newest neighborRezoning issues approved at the last City Council have paved the way for Casey's General Store's move to Russellville. Before the vote, a representative from Casey's shared their company's background and an overview of what they plan to bring to town. Emphasis on becoming a partner in the community was discussed. This is something Casey's expressed as part of their core principles. They addressed the use of directed lighting and promised to re...

Jay Gould a builder of the railroad systemThe late 1800s was the age of the railroad. Trains steamed across the hills, valleys, and plains of a growing United States, steadily bringing distant communities closer together. Thousands of miles of track were laid down by thousands of men to build a rail network that brought people and goods from one end of the country to the other. One of the most important figures in Arkansas railroad development was business titan Jay Gould. Born Jason ...

Summer edition of RVL Magazine coming SundayOur Summer RVL Magazine hits the streets on Sunday and the stories, recipes and photos you've come to love are all included. So find some A/C, relax and enjoy the read. -The Courier-

Rezoning: Casey's General Store vs Pope County's Russellville LibraryI am in favor of rezoning this site for the construction of a Casey's General Store. I have traded at Casey's stores throughout the Midwest for upwards of 30 years and have never had a bad experience. The new stores are far larger than the "small-town Iowa" models of yesteryear. Each store is clean, well-stocked, well maintained and staffed with cheerful people. If anyone needs to see an example, visit the one in Atkins. A new Casey's General ...

Sweet deal for Clean LineMy recent correspondence with the Department of Energy regarding the "Clean" Line transmission project have revealed some startling details. The Participation Agreement between Clean Line and the DOE set some milestones the project must achieve before moving forward. Those milestones have been touted as protection for landowners. That protection is only an illusion. I have learned from the DOE that Clean Line will be allowed to determine if Cl...

Letter: Zoning for the common goodTo Mayor Horton and City Council members, For a moment, take our Russellville Library out of Casey's General Store's zoning request and consider many other reasons to deny another highway commercial zoning in our Central Business district and its surroundings. Years of investment by property owners and renters have gone into bringing the historic heart of our town back to life, not only by the "vested," but by time and money from our community...

Our Voice: Why we don't name victimsSome people and some media outlets have forgotten the power of the written word. In the age of instant gratification and constant media updates, it's easy to forget stories and articles we publish never go away. Once it's on the Internet or in print -- it's there forever. Telling the stories of our community is not about website clicks or Facebook likes, and it's not about ad revenue. It's not about digging up only the bad stories from our com...

Losing those last five poundsThere it was in the mail ... totally unexpected and leaving me totally unprepared. Two of the old gang from college had decided we needed to get together for another “reunion weekend” since we’d not seen each other forever. After graduation, we’d vowed to get together once a year. This was later changed to every five years, then 10, etc. After we limped into our 60’s and are now galloping headway into our 70’s, I was asked to check my faithful...